Part 13 (1/2)

circle until they snag one.”

Sarah twisted her mouth. ”That's somewhat chauvinistic of you. Not all women are like that. I'm not, and I've never been married.”

He was glad to see the tears had faded. ”You're smart. You know who you are, and that's what I like about you. You don't need a man to define who you are.”

She looked doubtful. ”You make me sound like some rampant feminist career

old maid.”

Her fingers toyed with the ends of his scarf. Alex liked that she felt comfortable enough with him, even now, to touch him so casually. He laced his fingers with hers as best he could through the mutual bulk of their gloves.

”Because I'm not.” She might be allowing him to hold her hands, but her voice was still all thorns and no rose. ”I'd like to get married someday, Alex.

Have a family, all that.”

”Good.”

Sarah's creamy cheeks flushed. ”I just meant--”

”You're no shark. They are, and you're not.”

Sarah smiled mischievously. ”They were both rather predatory.”

Alex rolled his eyes. ”You don't have to tell me.”

She peered at him through the snow fringing her lashes. ”I'm sure it's not as

nice as it might seem. Being chased like that, I mean.”

He noticed her s.h.i.+vering. The air had become much colder, and the snow was coming down faster. ”Let's get inside.”

Alex helped Sarah into the Tahoe, then climbed in. She was right. Having women throw themselves at him had seemed great for a while, but had lost its l.u.s.ter lately. ”When someone likes me or dislikes me because of the way I look...” Alex voiced aloud for the first time thoughts he had barely realized he had. ”I can't really care about how they feel. Their opinion of me isn't real.”

Sarah bit her lip and appeared to think. ”At least my relations.h.i.+ps have been with people who like me. Really like me, I mean.”

Except for William, he knew she was thinking, but didn't say. Again, he wanted to find the jerk and throttle him.

”I was a lonely guy before you came along.” He wanted to lighten the mood that had suddenly grown too serious. ”I was shark bait.”

Sarah gave him the look again. ”That you are incredibly handsome helped, I'm sure.”

”The only person I want to think I'm handsome is you.” He pretended to think. ”And maybe my mother.”

”Well good luck, sweetheart.” Sarah laughed. ”I think you're out of luck there.”

Alex grinned. ”Then you'll just have to stay with me all the time so you can help me fend off all those man-hungry women.”

”Maybe we can get you one of those cages like on Underwater Kingdom.”

She linked her fingers with his. He suddenly noticed how cold the air in the truck had turned with the snow coming down so quickly. The roads were going to be dangerous if they didn't leave soon.

”I'm sorry it bothers you so much.” He buckled his belt and heard her buckle hers.

Once again, Sarah didn't need to ask him to explain himself. He saw by the way her fingers played restlessly with her seatbelt that she knew exactly what he meant.

She sighed. ”It does bother me. But I guess it's something I'll have to get used to.”

”If I could change things, I would.”

”Don't say that.” In the green glow from the dashboard her eyes were luminously, eerily lovely. ”Don't ever wish to change who you are. I like everything about you just the way it is.”

It was only as he put the truck into gear and drove into the snow Alex realized one thing. She had said ”like.” He'd told her he loved her, and Sarah hadn't said it back.

In her own bed, sleep evaded Sarah. She turned onto her side and grumbled when her nightgown tangled around her legs. The moment after she become comfortable in the new position, she suddenly felt too hot and had to toss off the covers. Moments after that, of course, she got the chills and had to wrestle the comforter back on.

It was because she was alone. The bed seemed too big and too empty. She missed Alex. Though he'd only slept in her bed twice, she missed having him there.

”d.a.m.n.”

He'd said he loved her, and like an idiot, she had said nothing in return. Love! Alex Caine had said he loved her, Sarah Lazin!

She had no doubt he meant it. Though the physical time they had known each other was short, the emotional time was much longer. Two people couldn't talk for hours every night without learning something about each other.

But did she love him? What wasn't there to love? She'd already established that he was handsome. A successful businessman. Kind, generous, and compa.s.sionate. He had a wonderfully witty and weird sense of humor. That they had nothing in common didn't seem important any more; taste in soft drinks and reading material didn't count for much in the long run. What really mattered was how they connected.

But love? Sarah had only been wildly in love once--with William. Though the thought made her cringe now, she had definitely loved the jerk. That he had been completely and totally unworthy of even her lowest affections she had no doubt now, but at the time he'd been like a gift from heaven.